Notes on my new town
Hey, welcome back. This post makes some generalizations (which is always fun and probably wrong) about my new town, Kearney, Nebraska. This may be part one of a multi-part series. Or not.
It is interesting to move to a new place because you take your old assumptions and past experiences with you. You apply those to the new place. Your mind is constantly comparing and contrasting. For a while. And then you are home and you like your new place (and I do like my new place). In fact, I haven't wanted to go back from whence I came. When I left, I took a short hike by myself as I often did. It was cold, as I recall, and two gray jays (also known as camp robbers) were keeping a close eye on me, swooping from one tree to another and following me along the trail. As I reached the end of the trail, I knew it would likely be my last time hiking there. I told those watchful jays that I likely wouldn't be back so to "take care of the place." And that was it.
These are not judgments. These are just observations. I may editorialize a bit, but it isn't my intention to say one thing is better than another. I've lived in many places. I counted the number of times I moved in the last 8 years and it was 6, I think. This is the sixth place my son has lived in his 7 years. That's a lot of moving around. Here's to putting down some roots.
What impressed me the most was the quality of life here. I talked with someone else who lives here and he agreed; Nebraska has a pretty good quality of life. As the signs say, "Nebraska, the good life." And people are pretty nice. I think I've had more people smile and say hello or wave or at least acknowledge me in the first few weeks here than in my entire time in the Black Hills. It is a different experience.
Things here are growing. Progress is in the air. Homes are going up. Things are being built. People are making a living. Everywhere you look it seems prosperity is at least possible. People are raising their families. They do things with them. Kids are out raking leaves and putting up lights with their families. Togetherness and family seem to be themes.
Safety. I see little kids, even little girls younger than my son, walking around neighborhoods or playing in their front yards by themselves. It would be unthinkable many places to see that. People probably leave their doors unlocked here. Well, some people. I've been through other parts of town and they aren't all great neighborhoods, but I wouldn't say they are bad, either. Heck, I've been to Detroit; I know what bad neighborhoods look like! These aren't it.
Friendly people. People smile. They wave. It's like I live in Mayberry. Sometimes they'll kinda stare you down, maybe to see if they know you or something. But it's definitely staring. They want to say hi but are waiting for you to go first? Maybe they're enamored by my hair flopping in the breeze or something (gotta learn to wear a hat again). I don't know.
The streets are pretty easy to navigate. I had to stop using my iPhone's Maps app because it, frankly, sucks. I downloaded Google Maps so I can actually find places. I was a little concerned because 25th and 24th street seem to merge and then become Hwy. 30, which is a little confusing (I may have made that up). Overall, the streets here are easy to navigate, especially with GPS. My son took it upon himself to learn the streets of his new town with Google Maps. So he gets on his computer and races around town to find familiar places and visit new places. It helps him feel in control of big changes in his life, probably. He even points out inconsistencies in Google Maps and the way the town is now.
People here drive more pedestrian vehicles than in the Black Hills. Soccer mom stuff. I've seen a few 4Runners, though they are likely "soft-roaders" instead of off-roaders. But, I have also seen some really exotic vehicles, too. A Maserati, even. I'll have to keep my eye out for stuff like that.
The pace of life seems faster here, but it's not faster than I can handle. The average age of people here is about 30. In the town I lived in before, it was more like 55. So I went from being seen as fairly young to feeling old again. Yay.
But what is there to do here? I'm still figuring that out. One of my first weekends here the weather was still very nice so went to Rowe (Audubon) Sanctuary, which isn't far away. It's designed to observe birds along the Platte River. Instead of observing birds, though, I laid down on a bench and almost fell asleep in the sunshine. It felt completely warming and wonderful. While I was laying on the bench, a couple who volunteered at the site (it was closed so I didn't know why they were there) came by, talking about the "whoopers." Whooping cranes were spotted along the river and were congregated in a group of 84, which is quite rare for them. That was a fact I did not know. Normally they stay in groups of two or three at the most. So I don't know the significance of that other than the couple was excited. I'm not a birder, but I enjoy nature. If someone wants to talk about their passions, go right ahead.
My son likes to ride bikes, but not when it's cold. Luckily, winters here are shorter than in the Black Hills. So, we'll keep riding bikes when we can. There are a ton of bike trails here. I have to keep an eye on my kid because he sometimes does dumb stuff while we're riding. Like plowing into me, sending me to the pavement. It's a work in progress. He's not ready to ride alone; I will say that, even though his school is only about two minutes away by bike.
He's still young enough to enjoy some of the young kid stuff this town has to offer. He still likes playgrounds. He likes the children's museum in town. Really, he just likes everything. He finds things to like, and I think that has given him a leg up on getting settled in. Also, he got a hamster, which helps the transition, too, as pets are soothing and something to look forward to. He comes home and puts his hamster in his ball, and off he goes!
As far as the weather goes, I don't know. I can't say yet. I recall some spectacular thunderstorms from when I lived here before. Beyond that, I don't know. It was nice to have two autumns in 2021 (one here, one there). That was unexpected. The weather was mild in November, much milder than I was used to. I joke that the Black Hills have nine months of winter, but that's not far from the truth. Two seasons there: tourist season and winter. This has yet to be determined in my mind, but I believe the seasons will be kinder here. And I moved here in part because I didn't want to miss the seasons. There is something grounding, humbling, and deeply human in witnessing the change of seasons.
The wildlife here is different. But, I was told at one of my interviews a mountain lion was seen in a nearby town. But we have things like cardinals here. And lots of bluejays. You may see one once in a while in the Black Hills, but not often. Eastern gray squirrels dominate here but in the Hills it was red squirrels (which are smaller, but meaner). Every place has its own ecosystems and wildlife. I enjoy the simple landscapes that are too often derided as plain or boring. I like being able to watch the sun come up or go down and enjoy a wide-open sky just as much as forest landscapes. The Sandhills are one of my favorite landscapes. There are hunting opportunities here, but I may spend my time fishing instead. I did a lot of that when I lived here before. One thing about Nebraska is the water table is pretty high, so we have lots of streams, lakes, and rivers.
This place has the biggest churches I've ever seen, apart from what I've seen on TV. Not sure what to say about that. The presence of a lot of churches is usually a good thing. What is taught at those churches, I have no idea. I would like to get in a church setting again someday, as the Bible teaches to not forsake the gathering of ourselves together. If God puts it on my heart, I will go.
There is a strange affection for disc golf here. I'm no stranger to disc golf, and my time here recalls the same experiences, such as near misses to the head. Disc golfers are a different breed and play by a different set of rules. They don't care if you live or die. One even told me if I got in the way I would get cut. Pardon me for trying to enjoy an unmolested walk on a clearly marked hiking trail. Yes, I'll stay out of your way, psychopath. Here I haven't had such talk directed at me, but I've had a few near misses. I've already been warned, guys, so expect me to hide in the bushes when you start throwing projectiles my way.
Recycling. Here there is recycling! Is this a good thing? Sure. But I really took to the hazardous waste drop-off site. Strange statement. People put their various chemicals there for safe disposal. You can find barely-used buckets of paint and wood sealant for free! Needless to say, I took advantage of this fact and used said products. Do you know how expensive paint is? If you just need to get some paint on a shed before winter and seal some wooden stairs, it's the way to go.
I like the feeling of opportunity here. I'm sure opportunity exists anywhere, but here it seems I have more options and possibilities, and that is a good thing. I don't know the future. I made plans to move here as a unit with my ex for the sake of all of us and then move out when we were all settled. Beyond that, I have no plans for my future except to watch my kid grow up. I had something in my heart (I called it a vision, but it was just something I wanted), and that was to see my son settled in a house. I wanted stability for him. I think this is a good place for that. I had no vision beyond that.
I also like knowing my favorite girl isn't far away. (I haven't bothered her excessively. Just a little.) It gives me a good feeling. We talked a couple of times since I've been here. It was five years ago when she came back into my life. All I can say is I changed tremendously since then, and a lot of that is because I knew her. How many men can say a woman's influence drew them closer to God? Made them a better man? Healed them in some way? Not many.
My next (likely) post is about healing. It's about the girl I love and what she's been through. It is a prayer and an attempt to explain what she's been through and what life looks like for her. If anyone reading is a praying Christian, please pray for her. She is enduring something hard right now. She has much and varying grief. She needs healing. And please pray for my son, who is struggling with behavioral issues at school, which I think is indicative of him coping with change. My situation is simple. I am moving forward as much as God allows. I'm not where I want to be, but I'm getting there. As always, thanks to anyone reading here. Another post will be along soon.
Thank you for reading. And God bless.
My YouTube video blog. I may do more. We'll see how helpful they are.
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